Story Elements

What do all stories have in common?

How can we find story elements?

Stories are all around us

• People have been telling stories for thousands of years

• Stories help us to understand our world, help us to think about the experiences of others, help us to imagine other places and other worlds

• And…stories are fun to hear and read

What stories do you know?

• With a partner, brainstorm as many stories as you can

Lots and lots of stories• As you can tell, there are many

different kinds of stories• But there are some elements that

all stories share

What do all stories have in common?

• Characters• Setting• Conflict (problem)• Plot (events)• Theme

Characters• Characters are the

people, animals, or objects who make the action happen in a story

• A story can have many characters, or just a few

Can you name the characters in these

stories?• The Three Little Pigs• Cinderella• Spider-Man• Ratatouille• The Frog Prince

Figuring out characters Usually, it’s easy to figure out the characters

in a story. Just look for the names! “Why do I have to go and play with Matt in the forest again?” Gwen groaned. “Because your mother and I said so,” Gwen’s father replied. “Besides, I’m the king, so you have to do what I say.” “Being a princess is stupid,” grumbled Gwen. “What was that?” her father asked. “Nothing,” Gwen muttered.

Figuring out characters Usually, it’s easy to figure out the characters

in a story. Just look for the names! “Why do I have to go and play with Matt in the forest again?” Gwen groaned. “Because your mother and I said so,” Gwen’s father replied. “Besides, I’m the king, so you have to do what I say.” “Being a princess is stupid,” grumbled Gwen. “What was that?” her father asked. “Nothing,” Gwen muttered.

Figuring out characters When a story is told in first person, it can be

hard to tell the name of the main character

I looked down at the floor, ashamed and worried. My plan had failed! Now the castle hallways were filled with angry pigs and cows—definitely not what I had in mind. “Cassandra?” my mother said. “Do you have an explanation for this?” “Um—no,” I replied. I knew that big trouble was ahead.

Figuring out characters Look for dialogue in which another character is

talking to the narrator. Can you find the narrator’s name?

I looked down at the floor, ashamed and worried. My plan had failed! Now the castle hallways were filled with angry pigs and cows—definitely not what I had in mind. “Cassandra?” my mother said. “Do you have an explanation for this?” “Um—no,” I replied. I knew that big trouble was ahead.

Figuring out characters Look for dialogue in which another character is

talking to the narrator. Can you find the narrator’s name?

I looked down at the floor, ashamed and worried. My plan had failed! Now the castle hallways were filled with angry pigs and cows—definitely not what I had in mind. “Cassandra?” my mother said. “Do you have an explanation for this?” “Um—no,” I replied. I knew that big trouble was ahead.

As you read• As you read, it’s

important to think about the characters

•Try to visualize them and imagine what they are doing•Think about what they are doing in the story, and why they are doing it

Setting• The setting is

the time and place of the story

Setting• A story that

happens in the PAST will have different events and rules from a story that happens in the PRESENT or the FUTURE

Can you find the setting of this scene?

• Place• This picture is of a

beach• Time• It’s hard to tell the

time from this picture. We’d need more details to figure that out

Can you find the setting of this scene?

• Place• This picture is of a

beach• Time• It’s easiest to think of

time as past, present, or future. What do you think is the time in this picture? Why?

Inferring setting

Anna sighed. She hated having to do so many chores. Her mother was always telling her to fetch the water from the well, watch her brothers and sisters, and fetch wood for the fire. “I wish that I could go to school,” she sighed, looking at her bare feet. But with her father in the Union Army, she had to help her mother.

Sometimes the author doesn’t come out and explain the setting. Can you make an inference with the paragraph below?

Inferring setting

Anna sighed. She hated having to do so many chores. Her mother was always telling her to fetch the water from the well, watch her brothers and sisters, and fetch wood for the fire. “I wish that I could go to school,” she sighed, looking at her bare feet. But with her father in the Union Army, she had to help her mother.

The clues tell us that this happens in the past. Can you guess the exact time period? There is a clue!

What about fairy tales?

• With fantasy stories, it’s hard to tell a time and place

• Sometimes you can just say that a story happened in a “fantasy world” or in “fairy tale time”

Review• What two story elements have we

learned about so far?• Character and setting• What are the two parts of setting?• Time and place

Conflict•The conflict in a story is

the problem•Every story has to have a

conflict•The conflict is what drives

the action in the story

Kinds of conflict• Stories have

different kinds of conflict. It’s not always just two people fighting!

Person versus person• In this kind of

conflict, two people have different ideas about what should happen

• Here is a playground. What kind of person versus person conflict could happen here?

Person versus self• In this kind of

conflict, the problem is inside the main character

• Suppose that you were hired to work on this ship and climb up into the rigging. What kind of internal conflict might you have?

Person versus environment• In this kind of

conflict, someone has to battle the environment, usually to survive

• Suppose you were stranded at this place. What would you need to survive?

Think about conflict!• Think about a story that you have

read lately. What was the conflict?

• Short stories often have just one conflict. Longer chapter books may have one main conflict, and several less important conflicts

Problems are solved…• But conflicts are RESOLVED• The resolution of a story is at the

end, and shows how all of the loose ends are tied up

• Can you think of any resolutions from stories that you have read?

Review• The story element that includes the

time and place of the story• Setting• The people or animals who act in a

story• Characters• The problem in a story• Conflict

Plot•The events of a story make up the plot

•In other words, the plot is what happens!

Plot

•A story can have a short, simple plot, or a long, complicated plot•Can you think of an example of a story with a simple plot? A complicated one?

The plot of a story follows a pattern

Climax

Falling Action

Rising Action

Exposition Resolution

Plot part: Exposition• The

exposition is the beginning of the story

• The author introduces the characters and the setting

Plot part: Exposition• Sometimes,

the exposition can seem long and boring…

• But some authors will plunge you right into the action

Plot part: Rising action• Things get

more exciting with the rising action

• This is when the conflict is introduced

Plot part: Climax• The climax is

the turning point of the story

• It’s often the most exciting part

• Nothing will be the same again

Think about it!• The plot of a story looks like a mountain.

Why do you think the climax is at the top?

Plot part: Falling action• The falling

action is the part of the story that happens after the climax

• In some stories, this is a long part; in other stories, it happens quickly

Plot part: Resolution• The

resolution is the end of the story

• Everything is resolved and explained

Think about it!• A story that ends at the climax is called a

cliffhanger. Why do you think this is so?

climax

Theme• The theme of a story is the underlying idea.

It’s the big message, the big idea.• The theme is the point of the story. Without

a theme, a story doesn’t make much sense.

Some common themes

• You’ll often see the same themes pop up again and again.

Good will triumph over evil

Honesty is the best policy

More themesFriendship is more important than popularity

Hold onto dreams, because they might come true

Slow and steady wins the race

Hard work will pay off in the end

Can you think of stories or movies that show these themes?

Figuring out themes• In some stories, the theme is easy

to figure out• In other stories, it is a little more

difficult• Different stories can have the

same theme

Review• What is the plot of a story?

– The events• Which part of the plot is the most

exciting?– The climax

• What is the main idea or message of a story?– The theme

What did we learn? Let’s see if we can answer our big questions about story elements.

What do all stories have in common?

How can we find story elements?